In this keynote, Richard Tong, Chair of the IEEE Artificial Intelligence Standards Committee (C/AISC), explores the rapidly evolving landscape of AI and the critical role of global standardization in ensuring responsible, interoperable, and innovative AI systems. Drawing from IEEE’s expansive AI standardization portfolio, including foundational efforts like P3394 (LLM Agent Interface) and P3396 (AI Risk, Trust, and Safety), the keynote outlines strategic threads driving policy, governance, evaluation, and interoperability. With real-world insights from education and enterprise AI deployments, and ongoing collaborations with global academic and industrial leaders, the keynote also offers a vision for a cohesive AI ecosystem built on shared principles and open standards. Attendees will gain clarity on the path ahead for AI standards development and how to actively contribute to shaping the next generation of trustworthy and effective AI systems.